🔒COVID’s death toll weighing heavily on Central Mass. nursing homes

An unusually large share of coronavirus deaths in Worcester County — nearly four out of five — have taken place in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, according to state data.

That makes Worcester County an outlier in Massachusetts. At least 769 of the county’s 1,007 deaths through Aug. 12 have taken place in such facilities, or 76%. Some facilities reported a range of deaths that could push the total slightly higher.

Statewide, deaths at such facilities make up 5,602, or 66%, of the state’s 8,547 coronavirus fatalities reported through Aug. 12 by the state Department of Public Health.

In all, 41 such facilities in Worcester County have reported at least one coronavirus death, and eight have 30 or more. Statewide, 377 long-term care facilities have reported at least one coronavirus death.

The highest number, 38, has been reported at St. Mary Health Care Center, a facility on Queen Street in Worcester.

Older residents have been hit very disproportionately by the pandemic, especially in Massachusetts.

The rate of deaths is nearly five times higher for those 80 or older than any other age group, according to state Department of Public Health data. The average age of a coronavirus patient in Massachusetts has been 50. The average age of a hospitalized patient has been 68, and the average age of someone who dies from the virus is 82.

Massachusetts is fourth in nursing home deaths, behind New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and third in cases per capita, behind New Jersey and Connecticut, according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Massachusetts has the sixth most nursing home coronavirus cases, with 9,769. That’s less than 9% of the state’s 113,198 cases through Aug. 12.

Nationwide, 43,231 deaths have been reported at nursing homes out of the 166,026 total U.S. coronavirus deaths, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reported. Nursing homes have reported 164,055 confirmed coronavirus cases and another 102,531 suspected cases.

The high death counts come as some nursing homes have failed to match the state DPH’s requirements on staff testing and reporting.

Of 91 long-term health care faclities in Central Massachusetts, including nursing homes, 26 either didn’t report staff testing data or didn’t meet a threshold that 90% of staff be tested in a given period.

Across the state, 338 of 429 facilities — nearly four-fifths — complied. Of the 91 others, 69 didn’t report testing data — and 22 of them were in Central Massachusetts, a disproportionate share of the state’s total.

Those in violation in Central Massachusetts include some facilities with dozens of patient deaths, and 11 had double-digit death counts.

St. Patrick’s Manor in Framingham, which has reported 40 patient deaths, around 10th most statewide, tested 81% of its staff, according to DPH. Beaumont Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing Center in Northbridge has had 37 deaths, Life Care Center of Auburn has reported 34, and The Highlands in Fitchburg has had 31. None of those three reported testing to the state, according to DPH. Beaumont Northbridge and the Life Care Center of Auburn contested the findings, saying they did comply with guidelines.

In late June, the state issued a new policy for long-term care facilities requiring they test at least 90% of their staff or be subject to financial sanctions. The state is supporting test costs for facilities through September, at which point the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services will reassess the testing policy based on public health metrics.